Who Shot the Cockfight Ref?

This brutal blood sport is illegal in almost all fifty United States, the vicious pitting of ferocious roosters agin one another is a display of animal cruelty in its finest form with the possible exception of the equally egregious inhumane blood sport of dogfighting.

But for someone attending an underground secret cockfighting event in the Miami suburb of Hialeah a couple of months ago, the fowl blood wasn't enough for them, they shot the hell out of the referee.

The dead man was shot several times in front of at least 50 eyewitnesses who were attending the event, yet police detectives cannot get even one statement from anyone who was there. The victim, Cuban born 46-year-old Jose Raudel Garcia who was widely known as 'The Russian' was said to have traveled in rough circles and had been around fighting chickens his entire life and was no stranger to troubles with the law and others engaged in the 'sport'.

No clear motive has been established, the victim's body was riddled with several bullets as he was shot 'execution style'. However, passions can run high as hundreds of thousands of dollars can change hands at larger illicit events and it doesn't strain credulity to imagine the shooter was miffed at one of the referee's decisions in the ring on that day or somewhere in the past.

Although Florida outlawed cockfighting in 1985, it remains hugely popular in the southern part of the state, which openly held large events throughout the 60s and 70s. The shameful displays remain popular with the regions mostly Latin immigrants who love la pelea de gallos as much as they love old Chevy trucks and ice cold beer.

Cockfighting remains a legal activity in much of the rest of the world, including the US territory of Puerto Rico. In May the Philippines hosted the Slasher Cup, the worlds largest cockfighting event that was even televised nationally there.

Anyone anywhere in the country that may have information on the shooter is asked to notify the Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305-471-8477 and you can do this anonymously.